Perhaps because of so many recent misfortunes, Madam Wang’s mood had been very heavy, and even her heart felt somewhat unwell.
Especially after witnessing Xu Mama’s death with her own eyes, she kept having nightmares, sleeping poorly these days, and now after just walking a few steps, she felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, her whole body uncomfortable.
Seeing both the old Marquis and Marchioness sitting and waiting for her, her first thought was to suspect that Qi Yunting had caused some trouble again. Otherwise, why would the old Marquis and Marchioness be in such a state?
She cautiously called out: “Father, Mother, is something the matter?”
The candle flickered and cracked; the old Marquis and Marchioness’s faces were dim and unclear under the light.
Madam Wang’s heart grew even more uneasy, making it hard to breathe.
She didn’t know how long passed before the old Marquis finally spoke in a deep voice: “There is something to tell you…”
His brow never relaxed, his expression sharp and serious.
The next moment, he dropped a bombshell: “Yunting is dead.”
As if trapped in an unending nightmare, Madam Wang felt her already uneasy chest suddenly stab with unbearable pain. A buzzing sound filled her head, urging herself to wake up, to wake up quickly.
But everything around her was painfully real.
Especially the Marchioness’s low sobbing beside her, reminding her that what she had just heard was true, not a dream.
Only then did she react, breaking down into tears: “No! He was fine yesterday! He was fine just yesterday! How could something suddenly happen?!”
Her heart skipped a beat as she loudly asked: “Was it Qi Yuan?! Was it her? Did she do something again?”
Otherwise, how could a perfectly fine person suddenly die?!
The scene of Xu Mama’s death flashed into her mind again, and Wang trembled uncontrollably.
The old Marquis immediately snapped sharply: “What nonsense are you talking?! What does she have to do with this?”
This had already been agreed upon between him and the Marchioness: the truth must never be revealed to others.
Otherwise, even though Qi Yuan isn’t afraid, it would ruin her reputation.
The old Marquis suppressed his irritation and sneered: “It wasn’t Qi Yuan, it was Qi Jin! Your ungrateful adopted daughter who you treated wholeheartedly but who repaid you with betrayal!”
Qi Jin?
Madam Wang was stunned. That name hadn’t come up for some time, so much so that she often forgot she once had such a beloved daughter.
Hearing it now, she asked bewildered and lost: “Why?”
Why?
How could it be Qi Jin?
She had treated Qi Jin so well, even when Qi Jin made a grave mistake that voided the marriage alliance between the Xiang and Qi families, bringing disgrace upon the Qi family—Qi Zhen even wanted to kill her—yet she spared her.
She gave Qi Jin ten thousand taels of silver and several servants to protect her so she could go south and settle safely.
How could she have killed Yunting?!
Madam Wang shook her head frantically: “No, no way! Ah Jin wouldn’t do that. She’s always been closest to her brother!”
The Marchioness, unable to hold back her anger, stood and pointed at Madam Wang, furiously scolding: “If she really saw Yunting as her brother, why would she ruin his engagement to Xiang Rong? Why would she deliberately seduce Yunting, putting him in such an unfilial, disloyal, and unjust position?! If you hadn’t been so doting on her all along, she wouldn’t have become so arrogant and greedy!”
How could she not feel pain?
That was her own grandson she had watched grow up!
But the Marchioness also knew that at this point, she couldn’t blame Qi Yuan.
The one most to blame was Qi Yunting himself, who had no upright heart and no kindness or mercy toward his sisters.
Next was Qi Jin, who repaid kindness with betrayal, manipulated Yunting’s weaknesses, and lured him further down a crooked path.
But now one was crippled and the other dead.
They had paid their dues.
What remained was Madam Wang.
The Marchioness grabbed Madam Wang’s collar. No longer the aloof Old Madam, but an angry elder, she coldly stared at Madam Wang: “I once said to keep Yunting by my side to raise him. The old Marquis also said to take him to the army. Was it you pretending to be ill to refuse? Did you deliberately soak him in cold water to make him sick so he couldn’t go?”
These old matters were dredged up again.
Madam Wang couldn’t breathe, pain rendering her speechless.
Yes, she had originally stolen the marriage that belonged to her older sister by marrying Qi Zhen.
So the Marchioness never liked her, thinking her heart was crooked.
She didn’t trust the Marchioness either.
When the Marchioness said she wanted to raise Yunting, she thought it was to take her son away, so she did everything to stop it.
Before, she never thought much of it.
But now, she finally tasted the bitterness.
The Marchioness pushed her heavily aside: “You are petty and clever but lack wisdom; selfish but powerless. I said back then it was impossible to have you raise the Marquis’s heir. But Qi Zhen wouldn’t listen, so I had no choice.”
Madam Wang’s lips trembled: “I… I don’t understand. What really happened?”
After a long silence, the old Marquis coldly looked at her: “What happened? Qi Jin had already returned and rented a place on Hat Alley, sent word to Yunting’s servant to lure him in. Recently, have you seen Yunting at home? Did you give him a large sum of silver?”
Madam Wang thought of the two thousand taels of silver and her face changed drastically.
So that was the purpose of that money?!
Why?
Her once most beloved daughter had dealt her the deepest blow?
She covered her face and cried bitterly: “How did my son die? Why did she kill him? Why?!”
The Marchioness coldly looked away: “Now that you’re satisfied, she did it to take revenge on our whole family.”
Madam Wang felt the world spin; she staggered back several steps and collapsed heavily, losing consciousness.
The Marchioness closed her eyes, feeling pity and hatred for her.
The old Marquis rose: “Help her back and find a doctor. I’ll inform the clan—he died young and tragically, no need for a big funeral. We’ll keep the coffin in the ancestral hall for a while and hire monks and priests for rituals.”
The Marchioness agreed but hesitated: “What about Qi Jin’s body…?”
The old Marquis’s expression was complicated: “Since Ah Yuan said she’s sending Qi Wang a big gift, then it must be a big gift. We’ll just wait and see.”
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